Savard: I will miss the late, great Ernie Hays

Credit: UPI / Bill Greenblatt

Long-time St. Louis Cardinals organist Ernie Hayes, shown in this 9/16/2010 file photo at Busch Stadium has died on 10/31/2012 at the age of 77 in St. Louis. Hayes retired after 40 years at the stadium keyboards, playing for all major sports teams in St. Louis over the years. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

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ST. LOUIS (Baseball StL) -- I’ll miss Ernie Hays. So will many Cardinals, Blues, Saint Louis U. and Steamers fans. How many guys who are employed as a team organist become a sports celebrity in their own right? None that I know of—other than Ernie Hays.

Like many of you I stomped my feet and clapped my hands to Ernie’s music at Blues and Cardinals games. It was neat to get to know Ernie after I returned to St. Louis in 1994 as a member of the media. He was a great storyteller and always had a joke for you. The jokes were funny and often off-color. Yes, Ernie worked blue but only to an audience that was comfortable with that kind of humor.

He had a great run in this town and took great pride in being a fixture at the stadium and arena. He’d be pleased that all the local media outlets are paying tribute to him today.